Knight of the Nightingale
by Mona Soyun
Summary: [Potatoes and Dragons] Merlin the Magician invents a love potion and tries it out on King Hugo III. Unfortunatly he's not the only person who takes it.


Note to Readers: If you haven't seen Potatoes and Dragons this will probably make little sence to you. It's a French cartoon which has also been broadcast in England, I don't know about the USA. Here's the blurb they advertise it with, just to give you a bakcground:  
  
"Calm reigns over the Kingdom of the Potatoes. A castle, rolling hills, and... THE DRAGON'S CAVE. A curse on Hugo III, King of the Potatoes. To put an end to this calamity, Hugo III calls upon all knights specialised in dragon-slaying, promising his daughter's hand to the sucessful candidate. From that moment on, all manner of knights, for the most part unratified, try to vanquish the beast and win the royal beauty.  
But the King's daughter, Princess Melodine, is in love with Riri, the court jester! For their love to last, no knight must vanquish the dragon. Riri secretly devises different means to foil and cover each pretender with ridicule, sometimes with the help of his faithfull friend Juju, otherwise with the talents of Merlin the Magician. Detectives, boy bands, revolutionaries and horseshoe-throwing champions are but a few of the hapless candidiates in the foreseeable disappointment!"  
  
Well that was longer than I thought! Anyway, if you managed to get through that, you'll get through this fic! Have fun!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Potatoes and Dragons, but I do own the "knight" in this fic. But to be totally honest, you can keep the knight if you want!

* * *

Knight of the Nightingale  
  
It was a bright, sunny day in Potato Land and Merlin the Magician was in his turret working on his latest invention. Riri and Juju looked on in amazement as he mixed different chemicals together forming clouds of multicoloured smoke. Slowly, Merlin added one final drop of a sinister looking purple substance to the mixture. A large cloud of crimson smoke bellowed from it.  
  
"There we are," Merlin told the on looking jesters, triumphantly holding up his invention. "It's finished." "Wow," Juju exclaimed, looking at the red potion.  
  
"But what is it?" Riri asked curiously.  
  
"It's a love potion; guarantied to make anyone fall in love with the first potato they see!" Merlin told them excitedly. "All I need to do now is test it." 

King Hugo the third stood by his thrown ranting to his daughter, Princess Melodine, as his executioner, Harry, listened in with delight.  
  
"How many times have I told you not to go wandering out to see that dragon?" he shouted at her, jumping up and down. Harry sniggered, but Melodine just stood there calmly. "He's dangerous and we need to get rid of him!"  
  
A bell rang and Harry left to see who had arrived at the drawbridge. Merlin sneaked into the room, closely followed by Riri and Juju.  
  
"But you've got it all wrong," Melodine replied to him. "He's really a lovely dragon, once you get to know him." Hugo walked towards her. Taking the opportunity, Merlin slipped some of his love potion into King Hugo's drink. Laughing, the three of them crept off and hid around the corner.  
  
"How can I?" he asked her. "Whenever I go within 10 yards of him, he burns me to a cinder!" Melodine smirked slightly.  
  
"He's just a little nervous, that's all!" She told him. Hugo was just ready to explode when Harry returned with an announcement.  
  
"A new knight has arrived to try and conquer the dragon." Harry announced.  
  
"Alright, alright," Hugo shouted at him. "Send him in. Maybe he'll be able to get rid of this beast at last."  
  
"Oh no!" Melodine cried. Hugo took a large sip of his drink and sat back on his thrown.  
  
"Presenting Lady Nightingale." Harry announced.  
  
A large, sweet potato stepped forwards. She was wearing a flowing green dress; her long blond hair tied into two plats and had a large Viking helmet perched on her head. Hugo looked up at her and let out a yell.  
  
"Wowee," he cried. "You are the most beautiful potato I have ever seen!"  
  
"Why, thank you!" Lady Nightingale replied in a booming voice. "I have come to defeat your dragon." Hugo leapt up and raced to her side taking her hand.  
  
"If you defeat the dragon," Hugo told her, kissing her hand. "You may have the pleasure of becoming my wife, and being Queen of Potato Land." Lady Nightingale blushed slightly.  
  
"That would be an honour," She told him.  
  
"Oh, brother," muttered Harry. Hitting Harry on the head, Hugo took Lady Nightingales arm and escorted her towards the drawbridge.  
  
"But of course," Hugo said to her. "I must give you the grand tour of the Kingdom first. Harry!" he called back to the executioner.  
  
"Yes, King Hugo?" Harry replied.  
  
"Look after the castle for me while I am gone."  
  
"Yes, King Hugo." Harry answered. The moment the two of them had left the castle, Harry slumped into the King's thrown.  
  
Around the corner, Merlin, Riri and Juju were laughing to themselves about the potion.  
  
"It worked!" Merlin exclaimed. "It really worked!"  
  
"Can you believe it?" Riri added. Juju jumped up and down.  
  
"That was amazing Merlin!" Juju told him. "What are you going to do now?" He asked Merlin curiously. Merlin opened his mouth to reply but Riri spoke first.  
  
"Oh, we're going to have to go and tell Melodine about this!" he spoke excitedly, running around the corner to greet her.  
  
As he did so, he saw her grab the King's cup and take a large gulp from it. Riri stood and watched in horror.  
  
"Melodine!" he cried.  
  
"Oh, Harry!" Melodine said, sweetly, looking at the executioner in front of her. "I'd never noticed how lovely your eyes were!"  
  
"What?" Harry said, sitting up sharply. Melodine kneeled before him.  
  
"Oh, please," she said. "Speak to me more. You voice is like sweet music!" Riri ran towards them.  
  
"Princess Melodine!" he cried. "What are you saying?" She turned to face him.  
  
"Riri, it's as if I've only just realised how wonderful Harry is," she spun back and placed her hands on Harry's knees. "Harry, if Lady Nightingale does defeat the dragon she will marry the King. Once the dragon is gone, we won't need another knight to come along and do it. I'll never find someone to marry. Oh, please say you'll marry me!"  
  
"Melodine!" Riri cried again. He was utterly distraught.  
  
Harry thought for a moment. If he married the Princess it guaranteed him a life time in the castle, not to mention a royal title rather than the job as the executioner. A wild grin spread across his face.  
  
"I accept!" He replied grandly to Melodine. She let out a squeal of delight and jumped up to hug him. Feeling slightly awkward, he patted Melodine on the head. "There's a nice Princess."  
  
"I must go and tell the King at once!" She said holding onto Harry's arm and dragging him out of the castle.  
  
Riri watched, devastated. He ran back to Merlin.  
  
"What stops the affect of the love potion?" he asked the magician eagerly.  
  
"The cure, you mean?" Merlin asked.  
  
"Yes, yes!" Riri replied.  
  
"Haven't a clue!" Merlin told him. Riri's jaw dropped.  
  
"What!" He shouted at the top of his voice, causing Juju to fall over.  
  
"That's what I was going to do now," Merlin continued. "Invent a cure!"  
  
"Well, how long will that take?" Riri asked him. Juju picked himself up and brushed himself down.  
  
"Not sure," Merlin replied. "The love potion took me a month to invent."  
  
"A month!" Riri yelled again, Juju falling over once more. "Princess Melodine will be married within a month!" Juju looked up at him.  
  
"Why will Princess Melodine get married?" He asked Riri.  
  
"Melodine has taken some of the potion and fallen in love with Harry!" Riri exclaimed. Juju gasped. "She wants him to marry her, and he has accepted."  
  
"Oh no!" Juju cried. He turned to Merlin. "You must go and work on the cure now!" With that Merlin headed back up to his turret.  
  
"And we must come up with a plan," Riri said. "And quickly!" 

King Hugo and Lady Nightingale were walking arm in arm through the kingdom. They had seen almost everything there was to see. There was only one landmark left.  
  
"And this," Hugo announced, pointing to a large rock cave. "Is the dragon's cave."  
  
"Oh!" Lady Nightingale sighed. "How wonderful!" She rubbed her hands together. "I'll start work right away."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Hugo asked.  
  
"I'll sing the beast out of there." She replied. "Music calms the savage beast, and if I sing for long enough it will surely drive the dragon away."  
  
"Amazing!" Hugo muttered. "You're so clever. You'll make a great Queen!"  
  
Smiling, Lady Nightingale walked towards the cave mouth. She took a deep breath and was just about to sing her first note, when she was interrupted.  
  
"King Hugo!" Melodine's voice rang out. Racing towards the King and Lady Nightingale was a very excited Princess and an exhausted executioner.  
  
"Melodine!" Hugo yelled. "What have I told you about coming out here to the dragon?" Melodine rushed up to him and threw her arms around his shoulders in a hug. "What…" Hugo started.  
  
"Harry and I are to be married!" she told him. "When Lady Nightingale gets rid of that horrid dragon, there won't be any knights to come and marry me. Please let me marry Harry!" The King's eyes lit up.  
  
"Harry!" He exclaimed. "Yes, Harry. A fine potato to marry. Not a knight but I suppose he's better that, say, a court jester!" The king chortled to himself as he turned to face Lady Nightingale and took her hand. "Yes, we must organise a joint wedding immediately!"  
  
The four potatoes headed back to the castle, excitedly babbling about the weddings. 

Later that day, Melodine was sat out on the grass, Harry lying with his head in her lap, dozing slightly. She was making daisy chains and draping them around his head.  
  
At that moment, a frantic Riri ran towards the couple. He looked extremely troubled.  
  
"Oh no," He exclaimed. "Juju's been kidnapped by the dragon!" Harry waved him away but Melodine looked troubled.  
  
"Poor Juju!" She cried. "What are we going to do?" Harry shrugged, nonchalantly, and closed his eyes again.  
  
"You'll have to go and save him Harry!" Riri suggested. Harry opened his eyes.  
  
"Oh, yes!" Melodine spoke. "Harry you can save him. You're so brave and strong!"  
  
"Erm…" Harry began. "Well, Melodine. I was actually quite comfortable lying here letting you make daisy chains for me." Melodine's face fell.  
  
"But Harry!" she cried. "You can't just leave poor Juju is the hands of that wicked dragon! He's only tiny!" Harry looked slightly nervous.  
  
"I suppose not…" He mumbled cautiously. Melodine stood up, Harry falling to the floor in a heap.  
  
"Come on then!" she announced. "There's no time to loose!" She started to run towards the dragon's cave. Harry pulled himself off and brushed himself down.  
  
"What have I let myself in for?" he said to himself, sprinting to catch up with Melodine. Riri let out a little laugh and followed them. 

At the dragon's cave, Hugo was laid on the floor, his head in his hands, listening to Lady Nightingale singing. He sighed.  
  
Melodine ran towards the cave mouth. Harry arrived a few seconds later, panting.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" She asked him. "Get in there and save Juju!" Harry looked up at her, trying not to collapse from lack of oxygen.  
  
"Give me a moment to catch my breath will you!" He cried to her sitting for a moment.  
  
"Poor Juju!" The Princess exclaimed. Riri caught up with the group and raced into the cave.  
  
"Don't worry, Princess Melodine," He yelled, poking his tongue out at Harry as he passed. "I'll save Juju!"  
  
Lady Nightingale began to sing scales, each time getting higher and higher. The King sighed again!  
  
"Such a beautiful voice," he cooed, oblivious of all the commotion with Juju.  
  
Riri's voice was heard from within the cave.  
  
"Take that!" he yelled. "And that!" There were almighty thuds and wails coming from the cave.  
  
Lady Nightingale singing continued to get higher and higher!  
  
"Why don't you go in and help him, Harry?" Melodine asked Harry. He looked at her from the floor and promptly fainted. She leant towards him and placed a hand on his forehead.  
  
"Now give me back Juju!" Riri shouted loudly toward the cave mouth. He turned back to face the dragon and Juju. "Now you stick your head out of the cave and fall over," he whispered to the dragon. "I'll come out with Riri and Princess Melodine will fall in love with me." The dragon winked at him and Juju clapped his hands.  
  
"La la la la la!" Lady Nightingale sang out, taking a deep breath to sing the highest note she could reach. "LA!"  
  
The ground started to vibrate, as she continued to hold the note. Both Hugo and Melodine put their hands to their ears, eventually collapsing to the floor.  
  
Harry suddenly came round and saw Melodine on the floor.  
  
"Melodine, my sweet!" he said, holding her hand. "Are you alright, my pet?" Melodine's eyes flicked open and she looked at Harry in disgust.  
  
"Harry, what are you doing?" She asked him standing up.  
  
At that moment, the dragon emerged from the cave. He gave an over-the-top gurgle and fell to the floor. Riri walked from the cave with Juju triumphantly on his shoulders.  
  
"Juju!" Melodine cried, running towards the small jester, picking him off Riri's shoulders and hugging him. "You're alright!"  
  
"All thanks to Riri!" Juju told her. She smiled and turned to face Riri.  
  
"My hero!" she said, placing a kiss on his cheek. Riri grinned, turning bright red. He took her hand and they walked back to the castle together, Juju in tow.  
  
Harry watched them. He couldn't just let her go off. She was his ticket to the good life.  
  
"Melodine! Hunny-bun!" he cried, racing after them. "What are you doing, sweetheart?"  
  
Lady Nightingale looked at the collapsed dragon and clasped her hands together.  
  
"It worked!" she sang. She turned back to face Hugo. "Now we can be married!" She exclaimed. Hugo froze.  
  
"I don't think so, lady!" he told her. "You may have defeated the dragon, but there's no way I'm sharing this kingdom with anyone!" Her face dropped. "Whatever made you think I'd want to marry you? Now get out of my kingdom this instance!"  
  
Lady Nightingale burst into tears and slowly slouched away from the King. Hugo frowned.  
  
"What a detestable woman!" He spoke to himself. "With such an awful singing voice!"  
  
The dragon picked himself up from the floor and was about to return into his cave when he notice that Hugo was still there. He grinned.  
  
"Yeowch!" Hugo cried as the dragon breathed fire at him, scorching him. The dragon sniggered and went back into his cave. 

"So it was the singing that brought both me and King Hugo back to normal!" Melodine explained to Merlin. His eyes lit up.  
  
"Singing!" he exclaimed. "Of course. If a note of the correct pitch is held for long enough, the vibrations will cause the chemicals to separate and the potion fails to work!"  
  
"Well, I'm just glad it's all over," Riri said.  
  
"Me too!" Melodine added. Riri smiled, slyly.  
  
"Erm… Did you want to go and see the dragon?" Riri asked her.  
  
Melodine smiled for a reply. With that Riri walked over to Melodine and took her hand. The two of them walked out of Merlin's turret.  
  
"Oh," Juju exclaimed in disappointment. "I'll never understand those two!"

* * *

Whether you liked it or not, I would be grateful for any reviews as I doubt many people will actually stick this to the end if they haven't seen the cartoon! Ta ta for now! 


End file.
